


The Writer and The Sharp Shooter

by SBK



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Death, Garrison - Freeform, M/M, Military AU, RIP Keith, Sad, War, Writer AU, klangst, rip lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 21:58:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10173236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SBK/pseuds/SBK
Summary: Keith recalls the multiple times he met Lance, and reflects.Not all stories end on a happy note, however.





	

Staring at the contents of a blank page can be scary and both stressful, because when faced with such an obstacle, one is required to fill it up with text and force a beautiful story to unfold. It has to be interesting, entertaining, and emotional. It has to get you hooked within the first three minutes, the first three seconds really, when the eyes scan over that first sentence. This is the law, the law of a writer trying to appeal to a world of electronics, internet, hyperspeed, and movies. A world of imagination, exploration, and… poor starving boys in coffee shops. 

 

Yes, things are not sailing well for Keith Kogane. Probably because for some ungodly reason, he got black coffee, and black coffee tastes gross, but he does everything with his all. Also the barista is really, really cute and he does not want to disappoint, or give off the impression that the coffee's not good. This is his favorite coffee shop, mainly because his fingers can glide along the keys of his laptop’s keyboard, and all of the sentences mold together beautifully, letting him write from the soul - a creative and perfect story. He does not want to appear to be a douche and yet, he cannot keep his eyes off of the kid behind the counter. 

 

“Lannceee, you’re going to die from a heart attack. Just because the coffee shop let’s us drink as much as we want, doesn’t mean you should!” A heftier, chubby guys practically yells. Hands gliding down his face as he appears to be distraught. 

 

“Oh c’mon Hunk! I’ve chugged like, twelve in one day before. Besides, thanks to night classes, I’m totally wiped. The hard thing is, I want to like, be a pilot right? Well the exams are tonight, and I’m storing up on all the energy I possibly can right now.” Lance declares, pressing a hand to his chest as he shoots Hunk is award winning smile. 

 

“I don’t think that’s how it works…” Hunk groans. 

 

See, Keith thinks that dashing smile, the false confidence oozing from every pore, and the amazing job choice? Yes, the barista male, named Lance, is definitely someone he should go after. He’s gorgeous, perfect hair, long eyelashes that kiss brown colored skin. He’s… he’s gorgeous and oh man, Keith is so gay. 

 

That was the first time Keith had interacted, and half stalked, Lance. 

  
  


\---

  
  


The second time was at a walmart, Lance was doing something stupid and making what could only be considered a younger sibling, laugh like it was the funniest thing he’s ever seen. Keith was endeared by it, his heart thrumming against his ribs as he watched his… well, crush perform a stupid face. Lance was in a different uniform, not a barista, coffee shop one, but an all orange one. A Garrison outfit, to be exact. The military? 

 

Keith had placed the bacon into his basket, eyes glued onto the eyesore of an outfit. Keith really didn’t mean to glare, it’s just, the Garrison was probably the worst idea. Recruiting youngsters and forcing them to fight, for what? Glory? Honor? What a load of sugar coated garbage. They were being sent off to die, not to a beauty pageant where they get to win the next metal and get gawked at by everyone within a three mile radius. Keith hadn’t noticed Lance closing in, until he was right up in his face. 

 

“Hey buddy, you got a problem?” Lance pressed a finger against Keith’s chest, and it was such a shocking gesture. 

 

“Uh…”

 

“Uh? That’s a pretty weak answer, especially since you’ve been glaring at me like I popped someone’s balloon.” Lance sucked in a breath, blowing it out upward, causing his hair to dance in the gust of breath. It smelt like Mochas. “Do I look like a balloon popper to you?” 

 

“Sorry it was just… Bad day.” Keith mumbles, blaming it on a ‘bad day.’ It seemed to work because Lance’s face melted like butter, morphing into one of pity and a kind of, sad expression. He placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder, sucked in a breath again, and- 

 

“This too shall pass.”

 

\---

  
  


The third time they met, it was extremely awkward. Keith had been working on a new story inside the coffee shop, he was a regular after all. Lance had fumbled inward, wearing a shockingly green colored outfit, multiple metals and the like, pinned to his uniform. In retrospect, it had been at least two years since they last saw each other. Keith had all about given up on this little crush of his. 

 

“Lance!” Hunk cheered, joy in those milky brown eyes of his. He’d reached over to give Lance a warm hug, hiding his face in the crook of his neck. Lance had grown a couple inches, still as lanky as ever. 

 

“Haha, Hunk, missed you buddy.” Lance shared the hug, digging his nails into the back of the pink shirt - barista uniform, after all. 

 

Keith wasn’t sure how to go about this, the words ceased to flow from his fingertips. The page he was working on left half done, and his mouth slipped open some. Lance was a Garrison guy, huh? Lance was a company commander, huh? Those are pretty impressive titles, especially for someone complaining about exams, and shooting funny faces at a younger sibling. 

 

Keith had shuffled to his feet, determined to return his empty coffee mug, which resulted in him awkwardly bumping into Lance and saying the first thing on his mind- 

 

“You look really good!” 

 

…

 

…

 

…

 

…!

 

“I remember you!” Lance shouted, pointing an accusing finger. “Lance and .. you, neck and neck at Walmart!” Lance had gave a bold laugh, pressing a heavy hand into his shoulder. 

 

Keith had nearly choked, gave some half assed reply, before hightailing it out of there. 

  
  


\--- 

  
  


The fourth time they met, Lance had been lounging in the coffee shop, sipping at orange juice, and typing away on a very military looking laptop. He had a scowl on his face, and fingers massaging his aching brain. 

 

Keith had sat down one seat behind him, back to back, and began his next chapter. It was a story about lions choosing their partners, and then being wielded to save the universe… or something like that. Pretty farfetched, but it could go somewhere. It was a script, and he was planning on selling it off to some big name company, just so that way his name could be in the ending credits for point five seconds, and no one really cares to read those but… 

 

“Huh, that’s an interesting story.” Lance whispered into Keith’s ear, causing the latter to jump like he had just been tasered. This resulted in Lance tilting his head back, letting out a flurry of loud, boisterous laughter. 

 

After that it was just dead silence, and Keith could hear Lance make multiple remarks under his breath. ‘The blue lion is my favorite.’ ‘No idiot, wait for your team!’ ‘Ugh, why did he choose her?’ So forth. Lance seemed to politely look over the fact one of the characters was quite literally named after him, and acted entirely the same - or the best Keith could come up with for a sufficient copy. As the hours dwindled by, the faint ticking of the clock putting Keith at ease, it was time for the writer to leave. 

 

“Thanks for reading, Lance.” 

  
  


\----

  
  


The four hundred, ninety third, time they had met, had been a heartbreaking experience. Keith and Lance, through a crazy turn of events, had ended up dating one another. And while they shared plenty of good times, this was destined to happen - the inevitable. 

 

Keith was numb to the world around him, specifically during the speeches, and the glares, and the upset sobering coming from a humble old woman. The writer had finished his story, and finally hit it big when the news crushed him and his dreams. He thinks, his next story, will be the one who didn’t keep his promise. See, the Garrison sends its kids off to die, this isn’t anything new, but it also sent his fiancee off to be beheaded, and nothing made his blood boil more. Lance was dead, and you don’t get the dead to come back to life. 

 

The five hundred, seventy second was the time they were supposed to both meetup again, and that was the time they were supposed to get married. Keith can say for sure now, he hates war and he hates the military. 

 

Most of all, he hates broken promises and death. 

 

Keith sobbed into his hands that night. 

  
The last night he and Keith met. 

**Author's Note:**

> rip lance


End file.
